Receptacle closure



July 31, 1934- F. G. NEUBERTH 51- AL 1,968,253

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed May 4, 1952 Patented July 31, 1934 UNITED STATES RECEPTACLE CLO SURE Franklin G. Neuberth and Raymond F. Neuberth, Ansonia, Conn, assignors to Emma, Neuberth,

Ansonia, Conn.

Application May 4, 1932, Serial No. 609,084

17 Claims.

This invention relates to receptacle closures and has more particular reference to screw-threaded caps used for closing bottles, collapsible tubes and other receptacles.

Where the receptacle has a threaded cap considerable annoyance and inconvenience is caused by the fact that the cap is continually being misplaced or lost. It has been attempted heretofore to connect the cap permanently with the receptacle, but the prior devices of that nature with which we are familiar are either unduly complicated and expensive or fail to operate satisfactorily.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a very simple and inexpensive device for maintaining a cap permanently. in cooperative relation with a receptacle which will satisfactorily fulfill the requirements of a device of this character.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device wherein the cap, after having been unscrewed from the receptacle mouth, can be maintained in a position in which it is out of the way and out of the path of the issuing contents of the receptacle.

Another object is to provide a device in which the cap when moved off of the receptacle'mouth can be held in a fixed position at one side of the receptacle mouth, but can nevertheless be very readily restored to the closed position to seal the receptacle mouth, when that is desired.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a bottle equipped with our improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the upper part of the bottle showing the cap in the open position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of a portion of the closure;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a collapsible tube provided with our improvements;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the collapsible tube closure showing the cap in the open position;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the closure shown in Fig. 4; and v 7 Fig. 7 shows a cap of slightly modified form particularly adapted for use on collapsible tubes. In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 10 is a receptacle such as a glass bottle that may be used for dispensing a liquid, as for example a liquid antiseptic. The screw cap for the receptacle is indicated at 11, and the same may be made of any preferred material and in any desired form. Usually these caps are made of a phenol condensation product or similar material. The cap 11 is of cup-shaped form and has on its side wall interior screw threads. 12 adapted to engage the usual exterior screw threads 13 on the side of the bottle neck 14.

In accordance with our improvements, We prevent the loss of the cap 11 by the use of an anchoring device in the form of an attenuated flexible member, preferably of wire, connected at one end to the top of the cap and depending therefrom into the receptacle to engage the receptacle to prevent more than a limited withdrawal of the cap, and to hold the cap in a predetermined position with respect to the receptacle when the cap is removed from the mouth of the receptacle. In the form shown theanchoring device consists of 'a thin wire of a suitable metal having a straight upper portion 15 socketed in the cap at the under part thereof. At its lower end the wire is in the form of a hook having one side 16 provided with a somewhat bent or defiected extremity 17, the other side 18 of the hook being at a slight angle to the side portion 16. At or adjacent the bottom portion of the hook is a slight depression or shoulder 19, and between'the hooked portion 18 previously mentioned and the upper end portion 15 of the anchoring member, is a shouldered portion 20 adapted to overlie the upper edge of the bottle mouth and to cooperate therewith in the manner to be hereinafter more particularly described.

Preferably the upper end portion 15 of the anchoring device is provided at its extremity with a number of small projections or barbs, as shown at 21 in Fig. 3, and this barbed upper end of the wire member is held in place in the cap by being forced into a downwardly projecting boss or socket 22 formed integrally with the cap at the lower face of its top portion. In order to aid in assembling the wire with the cap, the socket in which the wire is received is preferably provided with a slightly beveled mouth portion 23, as shown particularly in Fig. 3. By means of the beveled portion 23 the wire may be readily centered in the cap and the wire then forced home in the socket 22 so that it will not thereafter be displaced therefrom.

Preferably the cap has the usual lining member 24 of cork or fibrous material'to'seat upon the upper edge of the bottle mouth.

The side portions 16 and 18 of the hook at the lower end of the wire are so arranged that the wire maybe readily introduced into the'bottle mouth after the wire and cap have been fastened together, and when the closure is in the closed position the parts will have the relation shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to dispense the liquid or other contents of the bottle, the cap 11 is unscrewed in the usual manner. When it is unscrewed it cannot be lost owing to the fact that the tip 17 of the hook at the lower end of the wire catches on the upper wall of the bottle body and cannot be caused to pass into the neck owing to the fact that the lateral distance between tip 17 and shoulder 20 is normally greater than the interior diameter of the neck. As the cap is pulled away from the mouth of the bottle, the tip 17 engages the bottle wall and forms a fulcrum about which the wire and cap tilt as a unit. On giving the cap a further pull it is tilted toward and into the position shown in Fig. 2, and the shoulder 19 of the wire will engage the shoulder between the bottle neck and the bottle body, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to yieldingly hold the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2. In this position the shoulder 20 or the wire engages the rim of the bottle mouth and there is a slight clamping efiect or" shoulder 20 against the rim owing to the fact that in this position of the parts the shoulder 20 will be spaced laterally from tip 17 at somewhat greater than the normal lateral distance between said parts as a result of the tipping movement given to the flexible wire in drawing the cap to the lateral ofiset position shown in Fig. 2.

In the inoperative position of the cap shown in Fig. 2, the same has been moved substantially through 90 so that the top of the cap lies ap proximately in a vertical plane at one side of the bottle neck and preferably at such an elevation that the cap projects somewhat above the level of the bottle mouth, as shown in Fig. 2, and it will be observed further that the plane of the rim of the cap is in approximate alinement with the side wall of the bottle. By such an arrangement the cap when withdrawn is held in a position in which it is out of the way and conven iently located and in such a position that it will obviously not interfere with the discharge of the bottle contents. We do not, however, limit ourselves to a device in which the cap when held in position by the anchoring device has the identical relation to the bottle shown in Fig. 2, as the cap may be diiierently disposed with respect to the bottle when the former is in the inoperative position, in a number of ways, with- I out sacrificing the advantages of our invention.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 we have shown our improvements applied to a collapsible tube. In general, the form of closure shown in these views is similar to the closure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The collapsible tube 2.5 has a screw cap 26 generally similar to screw caps such as now commonly used and preferably made of a phenol condensation product or similar material. Thecap 26 has the usual interior screw threads 27 to engage the usual exterior screw threads 28 on the tube neck. The wire device 29 is similar to the wire device previously described and is connected to the cap by means substantially the same as those previously described, said cap having a depending boss or projection 30 to receive the upper, end of the wire; At the lower end the wire has a hook comprising a side portion 31 with a slightly inclined tip, as previously described, and a further side portion 32. Between hook side portion 32 and the upper portion of the wire is a shoulder 33 generally similar to the shoulder 20 previously described, although in the present case more gently rounded. The operation of this device is similar to that of the device shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and it will be observed that in this form a slight shoulder or indentation 34 cor-- responding to the shoulder 19 (Fig. 2) engages the wall of the tube at the angle between the neck and body substantially in the manner previously described. In this case, however, the cap, when in the inoperative position in which it is removably held by the wire member, is somewhat difierently disposed with respect to the receptacle body than in the case shown in Fig. 2, for while the cap is at one side of the tube mouth'the plane of the top wall of the cap is at a. slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the tube.

In the form shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, leakage of the tube contents is prevented by an annular V-shaped rib 35 depending from the top wall of the cap and integral therewith and adapted to bite into the upper edge of the tube neck in the manner shown in Fig. 6. In the form shown in Fig. 7, however, this annular rib 35 is omitted and an annular insert 36 of cork or the like is placed around the projection 30 so as to engage the rim of the neck.

It will be observed that our improved closure means is of very simple form and can be produced very inexpensively, and that the bent wire can be easily provided and readily assembled with the caps, and the caps havingthe hookshaped wire members attached thereto may be very easily assembled on the receptacles. The devices for preventing the loss of the caps function very satisfactorily, and the fact that they may be readily employed for holding the caps in inoperative positions in which the latter are held against-movement in a location in which they are out of the way of the discharging re-' ceptacle contents is an advantage of considerable importance.

It will be observed that in the forms of our invention illustrated herein the hook of the capholding device is in close proximity'tothe top wall of the receptacle when the cap in being re'-' moved from the receptacle mouth has reached that position in which its threads have just disengaged the threads on the neck so that the cap after being released from the receptacle mouth is almost immediately displaced to one side or thrown away from the center line of the receptacle by the engagementof the tip of the hook with the wall of the receptacle at a point adjacent the juncture between the neck and the top wall, as previously described.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the scope of our invention as defined in the claims.

What we claim is:

l. The combination with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a cap which is interiorly threaded to engage said neck, of a device for retaining the cap in cooperative relation with the receptacle comprising a wire depending from the cap into the receptacle and having a hookshaped lower portion with a free tip which as the cap reaches a completely unscrewed position lies in close proximity to the upperreceptacle wall, said wire member having a shouldered portion therein which engages the receptacle to hold the cap yieldingly in a laterally disposed inoperative position.

2. The combination with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a cap which is interiorly threaded toengage said neck, of a wire depending from the cap into the receptacle and having a hook-shaped lower portion, said wire being bent to interlock with the receptacle in order'to hold the cap yieldingly in aninoperative position at one side of the neck. I

3. The combination'with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a cap which is interiorly threaded to engage said neck, of a wire depending from the cap into the receptacle and having a hook-shaped lower portion, said wire being bent to interlock with the receptacle adjacent the base of the neck in order to hold the cap yieldingly in an inoperative position at one side of the neck.

4. The combination with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a cap which is interiorly threaded to engage said neck, of a wire depending from the cap into the receptacle and having a hook-shaped lower portion, said wire being bent to interlock with the receptacle adjacent the outer rim of the neck in order to hold the cap yieldingly in an inoperative position at one side of the neck.

5. The combination with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a cap which is interiorly threaded to engage said neck, of an attenuated member depending from the cap into the receptacle and adapted to hold the cap in an inoperative position at one side of the neck, said member having shoulders to interlock with the receptacle at the base of the neck and at the outer rim of the neck.

6. The combination with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a cap which is interiorly threaded to engage said neck, of a depending wire passing from the cap through the neck of the receptacle and having a hook-shaped inner end portion constructed to throw the cap to one side as it is pulled off the receptacle and having shouldered receptacle-engaging means whereby the cap is yieldingly held in a laterally disposed inoperative position in which the wire member extends across and engages the outer rim of the neck.

7. The combination with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a cap which is interiorly threaded to engage said neck, of a wire retaining member depending from the cap into the receptacle and having a shouldered receptacle-engaging portion by which it holds the cap in a laterally disposed inoperative position.

8. The combination with a receptacle and a screw cap therefor adapted to be screwed on to the neck of the receptacle, of a retaining member for the cap adapted to hold the cap in a laterally disposed inoperative position and comprising an attenuated member provided with shouldered portions adapted to engage the neck of the receptacle interiorly on opposite sides of the latter.

9. The combination with a receptacle having a threaded neck and a screw cap to engage said neck, of a wire retaining member for the cap depending from the latter interiorly and having a portion which in the inoperative position of the cap extends from the interior of the neck at the base thereof across the neck and to the rim of the neck at the opposite side thereof.

10. The combination of a receptacle having an. exteriorly threaded neck and a top wall to which said neck is joined, an interiorly threaded cap to engage said neck, and an attenuated retaining member fixedly attached to the cap at the under portion of the latter and having a hookshaped lower part, the tip of the hook having a position in close proximity to the receptacle wall adjacent the juncture of the top wall and neck as the cap in being unscrewed reaches a completely unscrewed position, said member having a bent holding portion to hold the cap yieldingly in a laterally disposed position relatively to said neck.

11. The combination with a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck, and a cap which is. interiorly threaded to engage said neck, of a wire retaining member depending from the cap into the receptacle having means engaging the receptacle to hold the cap in a laterally disposed inoperative position, said member when so holding the cap having a portion extending across the rim of the receptacle mouth.

12. In a device such as described, the combination of a receptacle having a neck and a top wall, a screw-threaded cap to engage said neck, and a retaining member attached to the cap and de pending therefrom into the receptacle and having a hook-shaped lower portion in the receptacle and a shouldered portion adapted to engage the rim of the receptacle mouth to hold the cap in a laterally disposed inoperative position.

13. The combination of a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a top wall to which said neck is joined, an interiorly threaded cap to engage said neck, and a wire retaining member fixedly attached to the cap at the under portion of the latter and having a hook-shaped lower part, the tip of the hook having a position in close proximity to the receptacle wall adjacent the juncture of the top wall and neck as the cap reaches a completely unscrewed position, said member having in the hooked portion a shoulder to engage the receptacle wall at a point substantially opposite that engaged by the tip of the hook to thereby lock said cap in a laterally disposed inoperative position.

14. The combination of a receptacle having an exteriorly threaded neck and a top wall to which said neck is joined, an interiorly threaded cap to engage said neck, and a wire retaining member fixedly attached to the cap at the under portion of the latter and having a hook-shaped lower part, the tip of the hook having a position in close proximity to the receptacle wall adjacent the juncture of the top wall and neck when the cap reaches a completely unscrewed position, said member having in the hooked portion a shoulder to engage the receptacle wall at a point substantially opposite that engaged by the tip of the hook, and said member also having a shouldered portion adapted to extend across the rim of the receptacle mouth and to exert pressure thereon to hold the cap in a laterally disposedinoperative position.

15. A screw cap for receptacles having a depending wire member passing through the mouth of the receptacle having hook means to throw the cap to one side as it is pulled off the receptacle and having a bent holding portion to secure it yieldingly in a laterally disposed inoperative position in which the wire member extends across the rim of the receptacle mouth.

16. A screw cap for receptacles having an interiorly threaded rim adapted to engage the receptacle neck, an integral depending socket member on the under portion of the cap top laterally spaced from the rim of the cap and adapted to project down into the neck of the receptacle, said socket member having a beveled mouth at its lower end, and a wire retaining member for preventing loss of the cap having an upper end portion extending through said beveled mouth and into said depending socket member to a substantial depth, said Wire member being forced into said socket member and having lateral projections to prevent its displacement therefrom.

1'7. A screw cap for receptacles having a depending wire member attached to the under portion of the cap and provided with a bent holding l.

portion cooperating with the receptacle neck to hold the cap fixedly in a position offset from the center line of the neck.

FRANKLIN G. NEUBERTH. RAYMOND F. NEUBERTH. 

